UK: SOCCER - Chelsea's injury hit start to the season continues with Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard ruled out of their opening Champions League group match against Rosenborg

Chelsea's injury hit start to the season continues with Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard ruled out of their opening Champions League group match against Rosenborg. Chelsea will be without striker Didier Drogba and midfielder Frank Lampard for their opening Champions League Group B game against Rosenborg Trondheim at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday (September 18). Drogba misses out with a knee problem while Lampard is still troubled by the thigh injury that sidelined him for England's Euro 2008 qualifiers with Israel and Russia this month. Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho told a news conference on Monday that Peru striker Claudio Pizarro is also doubtful with a calf strain. Wayne Bridge has an ankle injury while centre-half Ricardo Carvalho (thigh) is also sidelined. "The problem is not four or five or six injuries. The problem is which players they are and the importance of the players for the team. That's the problem. And for example in this moment when you speak about Drogba and Lampard, I don't have here the statistics with me but maybe you are speaking about more than fifty percent of the goals the team scored," said Mourinho. The Portuguese said he was expecting Rosenborg to defend in depth and try to hit Chelsea on the break. "The team I saw was a team well organised in defence with three good attacking players. I think the African players they have in attack are players with quality, with speed, with creativity, and I am waiting for a team trying to be compact and solid and defending well and trying to punish us in counter-attack," said Mourinho. Germany skipper Ballack, not named in Chelsea's 25-man Champions League squad, would not have played even if he was eligible as he still has not recovered from his ankle injury.

ITN Source | September 18, 2007

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